


Love, Unexpected

by NellyHarrison



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Hospital, Dementia, Epilepsy, F/M, Friendship, Hospitals, Illnesses, Memory Loss
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-08
Updated: 2014-04-11
Packaged: 2018-01-14 23:49:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1283320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NellyHarrison/pseuds/NellyHarrison
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erica has epilepsy.  Stiles has dementia.  They're both living with the knowledge that their lives could end at any moment.  But that doesn't stop them from finding their way to each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. It's Called A "Meet Cute"

  
_"Your heart decides who it likes and who it doesn’t. You can’t tell your heart what to do, it does it on its own when you least expect it, or even if you don’t want it to…" - **Unknown**_  
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————  


Erica Reyes didn’t know what love was. Not really. She knew how it felt to be loved by her parents, who spent as much time with her as they could and worked hard to pay for her many hospital expenses. She knew how it felt to love her dog Ellie, who she’d gotten after her first seizure and who always cuddled close to her after a particularly bad one. But that was it. She had never experienced the type of love that rushed up on you and took your breath away. She had never had someone hold her tightly, afraid she would disappear, and gently, as if she were made of porcelain. She had never been kissed so passionately that stars danced behind her eyelids and her stomach twisted like a spring about to break. She didn’t know what true love was, and when she was submitted into the hospital due to her epileptic seizures, she knew she never would.

It wasn’t like she hated living in the hospital. The nurses were nice, the food was surprisingly decent, and she’d made a few friends in the other patients. There was Isaac, who suffered from PTSD and had multiple serious injuries from being abused by his now deceased father. He had been there for a few weeks and would most likely leave within the next few months, but they had formed an instant friendship. Then there was Cora who was still recovering from severe burns sustained from a house fire years ago. She was rather quiet, but when she had an opinion, she would state it whether you wanted it or not. Of course, Erica had a few friends out of the hospital, but because of her situation, those friendships were more than a little strained. The conversations were empty, as her friends didn’t want to bring up her condition, and she couldn’t really keep up with all of the happenings outside of the hospital. It was difficult, and when her friends slowly stopped visiting, she couldn’t help but be a bit relieved.

While a lot of her time was spent in her room, reading or writing or drawing, for a few hours in the day, she would wander out of her room and roll Cora down to Isaac’s room for cards or movies. That day had been like any other day. It was a Thursday. That much she remembered. It was also one of the first days of spring. Although she couldn’t open her window to enjoy the sweet smell of budding flowers, the shades were kept open and she could see the change surrounding Beacon Hills. She’d always loved spring, but ever since moving into the hospital a few years ago, she hadn’t been able to really enjoy it like she used to. With spring came new beginnings. Flowers bloomed, animals were born, and the chill that had settled in from winter slowly drifted away. Change was in the air, and it sent a thrill of excitement through Erica. After taking her medication for the day, Erica grabbed her deck of cards and slipped it into her robe before making her way down to Cora’s room.

"Morning starshine, the earth says ‘hello’," she greeted, smiling brightly at Cora as she walked over to her, sitting in her wheelchair over by the window.

"I regret watching _Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory_ with you now,” she muttered, her voice rather monotone as she looked back at her. “What’s got you so cheery this morning?”

Erica shrugged as she started looking through the movies Cora’s big brother Derek always brought her when he visited. The two had been really close, but Cora knew that he didn’t like visiting because seeing her only reminded him of the people they had lost. Erica understood, so she didn’t bring it up. “I don’t know. It’s spring. I like spring.”

"I don’t," Cora stated. "Those stupid birds always wake me up at like four in the morning. And the nurses always do something stupid like try to get me outside or decorate my room with those stupid gel flower things." Erica rolled her eyes and shook her head. Cora always saw the negative in the things. No matter what it was, she would figure out a way to make whatever Erica was excited about sound as appealing as the plague.

"Well I like spring. Now," she started, effectively ending that discussion before turning with two DVDs in her hands, " _Captain America_ or _Forrest Gump_?”

"No rom-com suggestion today? I’m shocked," Cora teased, a small smirk on her lips, causing Erica to glare at her slightly.

"Yeah well the last two times we watched one, you and Isaac made snarky comments the entire time, and I’d rather you not ruin another classic," Erica explained, grabbing both DVDs and placing them in Cora’s lap.

“‘Classic’? Puh-lease, Erica. I would hardly call _Never Been Kissed_ a classic,” the brunette commented, holding the DVDs in her lap as Erica started rolling her out of her room and down toward Isaac's.

"You didn’t even give it a chance. It’s a great movie," Erica insisted.

"I’m sure it’s okay, but I doubt it’s great," Cora retorted.

"You’re such a pessimist," she groused.

"And you’re a hopeless romantic. Chances are that the closest you and I will get to experiencing romance will be our movie days with Isaac," Cora stated.

Erica bit her lip and looked down. She knew Cora was right, but she couldn’t help it. She’d read so many books about love and seen so many romantic movies. She wanted to feel what love was. Girls her age were experiencing it every day. Girls of all shapes and sizes could go out in the world and find someone that saw their imperfections as beauty and loved them for those imperfections. It was something Erica had always dreamed about. But when you suffered from epilepsy and spent every day in a hospital, the chances of finding a date are pretty slim.

Her mind was running through this realization, and her eyes remained off her surroundings. She was so oblivious to reality that she didn’t hear Cora before she crashed her chair into someone.

"Ow, crap," the voice said, Erica gasping softly as she looked up and saw the boy she’d hit holding his foot.

"Did you not hear me tell you to stop?!" Cora practically shouted at her, turning her head to look at her. "Where was your head? Jeez, Erica."

"I am so, so sorry," she muttered, her eyes wide and her eyebrows cinched together in concern. "A-Are you okay?"

The boy stopped rubbing his toes and looked up, sighing softly before offering a small smile. “I’ll survive,” he stated, looking down at Cora for a moment. “Um, I’m Stiles. New tenant. Patient? Whatever you call it,” he rambled, offering his hand first to Cora, then to Erica, who couldn’t stop her stomach from flipping at his charming smile.

"I’m Cora. Been here for about five years. This is Erica. She’s been here for about three," she explained, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Cora and Erica. Shouldn’t be too hard to remember," he replied, that smile still spread on his lips. "Uh, where are you two headed anyways?" His eyes locked with Erica’s, and her mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.

"Our friend Isaac’s room," Cora spoke for her, shooting a look back at her for a moment that made her cheeks flash red. "We’re going to watch some movies. Maybe play some cards. Want to come?"

Stiles looked back into the room he had come out of where a man in a police uniform was talking to a nurse. “I should probably say goodbye to my dad. What room is he in? I’ll come join you in a bit.”

"Room B14. It’s just a few doors down," Cora explained, pointing down the hall to where Isaac’s room was.

"B14. Got it. I’ll see you guys then. Cora," he said, nodding down at the girl. "Erica," he repeated, his eyes once again locking with hers and making her heart flutter. He shot them both another smile before walking back into his room.

Her cheeks still felt warm as she started pushing Cora towards Isaac’s room. She knew it was coming, so the second the girls entered the room, she shut the door behind her. “Not a word, Cora Hale,” she stated, immediately moving to her seat near Isaac’s bed.

"Not a word about what?" Isaac asked, perking up a bit.

"She doesn’t want me to talk about how she nearly drooled over the new resident," Cora explained, a teasing tone to her voice as she took the DVDs and handed them to Isaac. "His name is Stiles. Brown hair, big brown eyes, a bunch of weird moles on his face. He’s kind of handsome, but too lanky. Not my type, but apparently he’s Erica’s."

"Shut up!" Erica exclaimed, her face turning a darker shade of red. "I did not drool over him. I was just embarrassed from running him over."

"You ran him over?" Isaac asked, clearly amused by this story. It wasn’t everyday that they had something this juicy to talk about it. Most of the time they gossiped about possible relationships between doctors and nurses and ranted about the food.

"It was an accident," Erica pointed out, grabbing _Captain America_ and moving to put it into the DVD player. “I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

"I’m fine by the way," Cora stated, laughing softly. "You should have seen her Isaac. She was flapping her mouth like a fish trying to talk. I was half expecting her to melt into a little Erica puddle." Isaac’s laughs joined her own, and Erica crossed her arms over her chest before sitting in her seat.

"I hate both of you," she told them, pouting.

"Love you too, Eri," Isaac replied, squeezing her shoulder. "Now are you going to tell me your side or should I just take Cora’s story as fact."

Erica sighed and leaned back in her chair, looking over at Isaac. “It’s not every day a cute guy comes to stay here,” she stated with a shrug. “He _is_ cute. And I guess it’s just been a long time since someone smiled at me like he did. I don’t know. It’s not like I have a chance. He probably has a girlfriend or is only here for a little while or something. Either way, I’m not getting my hopes up.”

A knowing smile brushed Isaac’s lips, and he shared a look with Cora before nodding and turning towards the TV. “Whatever you say, Erica.”

She turned towards the TV and locked her attention on the movie, but her mind wandered to Stiles. What _was_ he there for? Was he going to stay long, or was he just a temporary resident? She wanted to learn more about him. She wanted to learn everything about him. But above all, she wanted him to smile at her like that again. Even if he was just being friendly, the way she felt when he smiled at her was something she wanted to experience as much as possible.

Fifteen minutes passed, and Stiles hadn’t shown up. Then a half an hour passed. Then an hour. _Captain America_ ended, and Stiles still hadn’t arrived. Maybe he had been more upset over her running him over. Maybe he didn’t want to talk to anyone that lived in the hospital. When _Forrest Gump_ ended, and Stiles still hadn’t shown up, Erica had given up hope. She felt so stupid for thinking that she could have found a new friend in Stiles. As she played hearts with Cora and Isaac, she could feel their eyes on her, but she couldn’t find it in herself to hide her disappointment.

About an hour later, it was time to go, so she grabbed Cora’s movies and her deck of cards and rolled the girl to her room, keep her head facing forward as they passed Stiles’s room. She left Cora in her room, ignoring the slightly sympathetic expression on her face and being thankful that for once, Cora didn’t give her opinion. She felt humiliated for getting so excited over Stiles. He was just another person that clearly saw her for what she was: a freak.


	2. Connecting the Dots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erica has epilepsy. Stiles has dementia. They're both living with the knowledge that their lives could end at any moment. But that doesn't stop them from finding their way to each other.  
> \----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> Something's up with Stiles, and Erica is determined to find out.

Waking up the next morning, Erica felt like there was a weight pulling her down. She didn’t want to get out of bed, and even her “happy playlist” couldn’t cheer her up. It was stupid. She knew that. She didn’t even know Stiles, and she was so affected by his apparent rejection of the offer of friendship she and Cora ( _mostly Cora_ ) had offered. Part of her still had hope that perhaps his dad had stuck around or the nurses wanted to get him better settled in, but she knew this place. She knew how families of residents tended to act and she knew the nurses would have let him come if he wanted to.

Most of the day was spent in bed, sulking and reading and occasionally clicking through the channels but finding nothing of interest. When it came time for movies and cards with her two best friends, she begrudgingly climbed out of bed, checked to see that she didn’t look like she had done absolutely nothing all day, and made her way to Cora’s room.

"Ready?" Erica asked as she stepped into her room, crossing her arms over her chest before letting out a long sigh. She was met with quirked eyebrows and an inquisitive look from the brunette. Rolling her eyes, she went over to pick a few movies. "I’m fine," she answered the unasked question.  She knew Cora too well to think there was a chance she would let it go.

"Really? Because you don’t look fine. You look like someone kicked Ellie into a ravine," Cora replied, watching her carefully.

"Nice image, Cora. Real nice," she snapped, causing the other girl to throw her hands up in surrender. Erica closed her eyes and reigned herself back in before depositing _Warm Bodies_ and _X-Men: First Class_ onto Cora’s lap. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m not in the best mood.”

"Because of Stiles," Cora finished, offering a sympathetic smile. "He’s a stupid boy, Erica. And if he’s going to blow off a nice offer of movies and cards, then he’s clearly a douche with an attitude problem." Erica snorted at that, looking up from where she was playing with the hem of her sweatshirt and smiling softly. "Seriously, it’s like ‘Sorry we ran over your toe. Doesn’t give you the right to be a punk ass bitch.’" A genuine laugh escaped Erica, making Cora’s smile grow a bit. "Now brighten up. Melissa told me that Isaac had a pretty rough night last night and he needs us to be peppy." Erica nodded and stood up, turning Cora and rolling her towards the door.

"I didn’t know Isaac had a bad night. Why did Melissa tell you and not me?" Erica wondered as they headed in the direction of Isaac’s room.

"I don’t know… I think Isaac gave her permission or something. I think he thinks that telling you might stress you out and trigger a seizure," Cora stated bluntly, making Erica frown a bit. "Don’t make that face. It’s possible. We all have to watch out for each other, right?"

Erica nodded, knowing she was right. “Yeah, I get it. Doesn’t mean I have to like it though. Isaac should be able to depend on me.”

"He does depend on you, but it’s better for me to tell you what’s going on so you take it better," Cora explained with a shrug.

The two were almost to Isaac’s room when they heard voices coming from one of the rooms. It wasn’t uncommon for patients to become upset, but as they got closer, they realized that the shouting was coming from Stiles’s room.

"You're not listening! I don’t belong here. This is a mistake, and when I talk to my father, the _sheriff_ , you’ll wish you had listened to me.” Stiles stormed out of his room and shook his head, then looked around, only stopping when he saw Cora and Erica staring at him. “I- Sorry about that. I’m not usually that… aggressive,” he apologized, rubbing the back of his neck. Shaking his head, he offered his hand to Cora. “I’m Stiles.”

Cora looked at his hand like it had an extra finger or something, then looked back at Erica before turning back to Stiles. “Is this some kind of a joke?” she asked, leaving his hand in the air untouched.

Slowly, he lowered his hand and took a small step back. “Uh, no..? Sorry for trying to be polite.”

"We’ve already met, asshole. And then you blew off our offer to watch movies," she spat out, glaring slightly. Erica stood there quietly, her stomach churning a bit. If this was a joke, it was a sick one… But why would Stiles joke like that?  If he actually was a jerk, then he would just act like a jerk to them, not pretend he didn’t remember them.

"I-I didn’t- I would never- We’ve never met…" Stiles muttered, shaking his head a bit. His hand reached up and rubbed his forehead as his chest moved a bit faster, his breathing growing more frantic. She knew that look. That look of confusion and frustration. He felt out of control, and she knew if she didn’t do something, Cora would somehow instigate a panic attack.

"Hey Stiles? Can you do me a favor and wait here? I promise I’ll be back in a few minutes," Erica said, smiling softly. Although he still looked confused, he nodded, his breathing evening out a bit before smiling back slightly. Erica nodded once and pushed Cora past him.

"What the hell are you doing?" Cora asked.

"Something’s up. Did you hear what he was saying to that nurse before he stormed out of his room? He thinks being here is a mistake, and he clearly didn’t remember us." There was a chance that Erica was giving Stiles too much credit, but the way he had reacted to them made her think that he genuinely was confused. She wasn’t sure what was happening with him, but she knew there was only one way to find out. "I’m going to figure out what’s going on. You and Isaac can watch _Warm Bodies_ while I’m gone. You can give all the commentary on the romance without ruining the movie for me,” she offered, rolling the chair into Isaac’s room.

"This is a bad idea, Erica," Cora insisted.

"What’s a bad idea?" Isaac asked, putting his book aside and smiling softly at his friends. Erica groaned a bit at her friend’s pessimism as she rolled her to Isaac’s bed side and took the DVD from her to pop it into the player.

"Stiles doesn’t remember us. We ran into him in the hall and he didn’t remember us. I’m going to go figure out what’s going on and then I’ll come back okay? Just watch the movie and if it ends before I’m back, play some cards. We can watch the second one when I get back," Erica explained, then headed for the door. She only stopped when she heard her name being called.

"Be careful okay?" Isaac insisted, frowning slightly.

She smiled sweetly at her friends and nodded. “Always.” Taking a deep breath, she exited the room and looked down the hall to see Stiles still standing there. As she walked closer, he turned and looked at her, offering a small smile as she arrived. “Thanks for waiting… I’m Erica, by the way. Um, can we go somewhere to talk?”

Stiles shrugged, then nodded. “Why not.” Erica smiled softly and gestured for him to follow her, then started leading them to a little sitting area in the corner of a hallway. It was sort of isolated from the active parts of the floor, so they had some privacy. When they sat down, Erica looked at her hands, unsure of what to say. Luckily, Stiles started things for her. “So why are you here, Erica?” She looked up at him a bit confusedly. “I mean, what reason do you have to be in a hospital?”

Her mouth formed a small o in understanding before replying, “Epilepsy. I’ve had it since I was a kid, but a few years ago, it got really bad and my parents decided it would be best if I stayed here. Immediate attention if I have a serious seizure and the best care and medication money can buy.”

"Wow. That’s intense," Stiles replied, blowing out a puff of air.

"What about you, Stiles? Why are you here?" she asked.

"Oh, I’m not supposed to be here. I’m going to call my dad and have him come pick me up because this is a mistake," he explained, placing his ankle on his knee like most guys do when they cross their legs and drumming his fingers on his calf.

"Why do you think it’s a mistake?" she wondered, keeping her voice calm and as non-accusatory as possible.

"Because my condition isn't bad enough to be in a hospital," he replied. When he was only met with a curious, confused expression, he sighed softly. "I have frontotemporal dementia. It’s a rare form that teenagers can get and for all I know, it’s incurable."

"Dementia. That means you lose your memories, right?" she questioned, the pieces of the puzzle coming together.

"Among other things," Stiles stated, nodding. He looked down at his pants as he took a deep breath, then shook his head. "Cora said that we met before. She’s right isn’t she? We met and I forgot you." His head lifted and his eyes locked with hers, his bright brown eyes almost made dull by the sadness that shone through them.

"I’m afraid so," Erica told him, frowning slightly. "Yesterday when you got here, I basically ran you over with Cora’s wheelchair and then we invited you to come watch movies with us. You said you wanted to say goodbye to your dad, but then you never showed up. I thought you had just blown us off or were more upset over me running you over then you had indicated. That’s why Cora was a bit angry earlier."

"Erica, I’m really sorry… I-" He paused, looking to the side a bit as he furrowed his eyebrows. "I remember coming here. I didn’t really want to come, but I knew it was the right decision. I don’t really remember meeting you and Cora, but being hit explains why I have a bruise on my foot. I remember talking to my dad and then I think I unpacked my stuff… I must have forgotten to come down to the room. That happened a few times at home. I would be with my friend Scott and he would tell me something, and then an hour or so later I would have completely forgotten what he had said. Some things are more lasting, especially if they're associated with certain aspects of my life. Like I remember my friend Scott, but I’ve known him my whole life. Memories associated with him last a lot longer. But things like what I ate last Tuesday or who my Chemistry teacher was last year are gone."

"So you remember things that you hold close to you. Important things. Like your best friend and your dad," she tried to understand, her eyes never leaving him. She hadn’t really met anyone with Stiles’s condition before, so she was definitely curious.

"Basically," he said with a shrug. "Some other things come back here and there. Like when I saw you walking towards me to come and talk, I remembered my first day of school a few years ago, when I was talking to my friend Scott, and this girl that I liked Lydia walked towards me and right past me. I don’t know why I remembered that, but I did. It’s weird."

A pang of jealousy coursed through her when she learned about this Lydia girl. Then she shook that thought off. Now was not the time to let her little crush on Stiles get in the way of helping him. He needed a friend right now, a friend that knew where he was coming from and could help explain things he didn’t understand, and she was determined to be that friend.

"No. Not weird. It’s part of your condition," Erica stated, smiling slightly. "With my epilepsy, I know when I’m going to have a seizure. I get this metallic taste in my mouth called an aura right before it happens. It tastes like blood. It’s unpleasant, and it’s not like I can really do much when I taste it, but that’s just something I have learned to get used to. It took about ten years to do it, but I figured it out. This memory loss and flashback thing is something that you’ll just have to get used to."

A small smile grew on Stiles’s lips as he looked at her. “How do you do that?”

"Do what?" she asked, her smile dropping a bit as she looked at him with her big brown eyes.

"Be so positive. You’ve spent the last few years living in a hospital and you still seem so happy. I’ve been here a day and I feel miserable," he laughed dryly, shaking his head slightly.

Erica sighed, looking down at her lap before shrugging a shoulder. “I guess I’ve come to realize that life could be taken from me at any moment, and that it isn’t worth it being so sad all the time,” she explained, looking back up at him. “I know that with my condition, I could have a seizure severe enough to kill me. I know that. But I know that every seizure I do have that doesn’t kill me means another day I get to live. Another day of playing cards and watching movies with my friends. Another day of breathing and laughing and living. I don’t want to waste the days I have left worrying about my next seizure or getting upset over living here.”

He nodded, a sense of understanding settling over him as his smile remained on his lips. “You’re rather incredible, did you know that?”

Her cheeks flushed bright red as she bowed her head, her blonde hair hiding her face from him. When she had calmed herself a bit, she looked back up at him. “I think anyone that lives here and still tries to live their lives is incredible. Isaac and Cora, they’re incredible. If you give this place a chance, you could be incredible too. I think coming here in the first place already makes you kind of incredible.” Stiles’s smile grew and he muttered his thanks. “I, um, Cora and Isaac- he’s our other friend- they’re probably waiting for me… Do you, uh, do you want to come hang out with us? Or did you want to call your dad?”

"Oh, I don’t want to intrude," Stiles stated, trying to wave her off.

"We invited you yesterday. We want you to come hang out with us. It’s not every day that a kid our age moves in," she pointed out with a shrug. She stood from her seat and smiled. "Come on. _Warm Bodies_ is probably almost over, and they’ll play cards until I get back. I brought _X-Men: First Class_ too, so that’s what we'll watch.”

"You like X-Men?" Stiles asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"I prefer the Avengers, but X-Men is pretty awesome. I like _First Class_ because it shows where they all came from. Plus there’s the Wolverine cameo which is absolutely perfect,” she commented, laughing softly.

Stiles’s mouth was opened a bit as he stared at her before he abruptly closed it and shook his head a bit. “Where have you been all my life?” he joked, making Erica blush a bit.

"Oh shut up," she laughed again, walking towards Isaac’s room. As they walked, she had to fight the urge to lace her fingers with his and tried to keep the butterflies flooding her stomach at bay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Next chapter will be out next Friday. All feedback is welcomed and encouraged!


	3. Forgiving and Not Forgetting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erica has epilepsy. Stiles has dementia. They're both living with the knowledge that their lives could end at any moment. But that doesn't stop them from finding their way to each other.  
> \----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> Erica has a seizure and Stiles is there to comfort her in the aftermath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is almost past my deadline, but thanks to a friendly reminder, here it is. This is probably my favorite chapter so far, so enjoy!

Over the next few weeks, Stiles was brought into their little group. On the way to Isaac’s room each day, Cora and Erica would stop and invite Stiles along. He’s be a bit hesitant, but eventually he’d agree, and the four teens would spend hours watching movies and playing cards. A few times, Stiles would ask things they’d already explained, but after Erica had told them about Stiles’s condition, it had been easy enough to just explain things again with no judgment or hurt over his lack of memory. Eventually, Stiles started to wait outside of his room for the two girls, and his memory regarding his three new friends improved exponentially. It brought Erica back to that first day, when Stiles told her that his memories regarding his father and his friend Scott were a lot clearer in his mind. She took it as a good sign, a sign that he was growing closer to them, and that they were becoming more important to him.

One afternoon, after taking his medication and having a phone call with his dad, Stiles walked out and waited outside of his room for Cora and Erica. After about fifteen minutes, the two girls hadn’t arrived. That wasn’t like them. They had a rather solid schedule, and Stiles had learned that schedule. Furrowing his eyebrows, he walked down to Isaac’s room, only to find Cora already there, her and Isaac talking quietly as they played cards.

"Uh, hey..?" Stiles spoke, widening his eyes a bit when the two turned towards him in surprise.

"Oh. Stiles, hey man," Isaac greeted, forcing a smile. "We’re almost done with this game if you want to join us for the next one."

"Where’s Erica?" Something was off. They were acting weird and Cora could barely look at him. They both looked… sad.

With a sigh, Cora put her hands down and turned to look directly at him. “Her dog Ellie got loose and was hit by a car last night. Her mother called her last night to tell her, and she spent most of the night up and crying. Lack of sleep, even with her medication, mixed with her emotional instability triggered a seizure this morning.”

"She had a seizure?" Stiles repeated, his heart clenching at the thought. He had grown to really care for Erica, and the thought of the smiling, funny girl he’d come to know being in pain hurt him. "I need to go see her."

"I don’t know if that’s-" Isaac started, but Cora cut him off.

"You should. I think she’d like to see you." Isaac looked at Cora curiously, shaking his head slightly in confusion. "What? Don’t look at me like that. She’s upset, and you and I can’t do much to help her. You can barely leave your bed and I’m stuck in this stupid chair. If anyone can help her, it’s him."

Stiles stood silently as he watched the exchange, and he felt a bit better when Isaac seemed to agree with Cora. “I’ll make sure she knows you guys are thinking of her… Later.” With that, he turned away from them and made her way into the hall and down towards Erica’s room. As he walked, he couldn’t help but think over Cora’s words. How could he, out of all of them, be able to help her? Sure, he and Erica had grown closer, but Cora and Isaac were her best friends. Who was he compared to them? Shaking it off, he slowly walked into her room, his heart nearly breaking in his chest at the sight of her laying in bed. She looked… Not weak. No matter what, Erica could never be weak in his eyes. But she did look delicate. Breakable. Or maybe she was already broken, and for some reason, he felt the strong desire to fix her.

"Hey Erica," he spoke softly, moving towards her bed and sitting in the chair beside it. She slowly turned her head to look at him and smiled softly, her eyes only half open.

"Hey Batman. What are you doing here?" she asked, using the nickname she made for him when he insisted on watching _The Dark Knight Rises_ one afternoon.

"I heard what happened. You didn’t think I would just leave my Catwoman all alone, did you?" he teased, using the nickname he’d given her when she’d expressed her liking for Anne Hathaway’s character in that film. He hesitantly reached up and laid her hand over hers, squeezing gently. "I’m sorry about Ellie."

Her eyes fell closed, and he wished he hadn’t said anything, but then she took a deep breath and opened her eyes again. “Thanks… I wish you could have met her. She would have liked you.”

"From the way you talked about her, I know I would have liked her," he replied. A tear ran down her cheek and she nodded. "How are you feeling? Is there anything I can do?"

She shook her head and turned her hand over to take his hand in hers. “I’m okay. I’ll be okay. Seizures are never fun, but this one wasn’t too bad. I’ve had worse. Before I came to stay at the hospital, I was in school and had a seizure in the middle of class. My classmates thought I was a freak, and they didn’t understand what was happening, so they just stood there and watched. Then I peed my pants, and they started laughing.” She paused and sighed softly, and it took everything in him not to storm from where he was to go and beat the crap out of anyone that had hurt her. “Someone had recorded it and they put it on the internet. About a month later, when I left to come stay here, people were still talking about it and making snide remarks to me in the hall.”

"You didn’t deserve that. Any of that. Erica, you- It’s not like you wanted this! And you couldn’t control it. They shouldn’t have- I can’t believe they-" He couldn’t get out what he wanted to stay, so he paused and took a deep breath. "If they took five minutes to get to know you, they would realize how wonderful you are and feel like complete assholes for how they treated you."

"You really think that?" she asked, looking at him with hopeful eyes and a slightly surprised expression.

He couldn’t help it. He laughed. However, from the way she retreated, turning away and trying to pull her hand from his, he knew that was not the appropriate reaction. He squeezed her hand a little bit and stopped laughing. “Erica, you’re probably the kindest, most considerate person I’ve ever met. You gave me a second chance when I blew you off, even though you had no reason to. You didn’t make me feel bad when I asked you about things I should already know. You’ve helped me remember things. I don’t think I would be doing as well as I am if it weren’t for you.”

A small smile grew on her lips and she blinked back happy tears. “For the record, I did have a reason to give you a second chance,” she pointed out, causing him to look at her curiously. “When I first met you, I ran you over. I ran over your foot with a wheelchair. And you were still so nice to me. You said it was fine and you seemed excited to come watch movies. When you didn’t show up, I was confused. I have always been really good at reading people, and you didn’t seem like the type to blow someone off like that. I knew something was up when I saw you the next day. The way you were acting, and the genuine confusion you had made me think that there was something more going on. That’s why I gave you a second chance. Because I knew that you weren’t the kind of guy to ditch someone and then act confused about it.”

"I’m really glad you did give me a second chance," Stiles admitted, looking down at their joined hands for a moment. "I don’t think I would be here, mentally, the way I am now if it weren’t for our friendship."

A sinking feeling settled in Erica when he said that. Friendship. They were friends, and while Erica liked being Stiles’s friend, she thought they had become closer than friends. Clearly she was wrong.

"I’m sure it’s not me that’s helping you. It could be the medication or being in one place or- or- or any number of things," she pointed out, shrugging a shoulder.

When she looked over at him, he was smiling softly and shaking his head. “You know the other day, when Isaac and Cora were fighting over him dropping the Queen on her in the game of hearts we were playing?”

"Yes..?"

"Well when you looked at me, you just smiled, and it reminded me of my mom. When you smiled at me, I was brought back to when I was five or six, and my mom took me to the zoo, and I had been so excited to see the wolves. I was bouncing up and down and I had looked up at her and she just smiled at me, just like you had. That was the first time I had remembered my mom since I was diagnosed," he explained.

Erica was shocked. Stiles had never talked about his mom before, and she hadn’t wanted to ask since he never mentioned her. Now that he was remembering her, she couldn’t help but ask. “What happened to her?”

He inhaled slowly through his nose and let it out in a heavy breath. “She had the same form of dementia that I had. She withered away, mentally and eventually physically. I was the only one with her when she passed. My dad was working and he couldn’t get there in time.”

"Stiles, I’m so sorry…" she spoke softly, squeezing his hand gently. "I bet she was a great woman."

"She was," he told her, smiling softly down at their hands. "I can’t remember everything about her, but I know she was amazing. She kind of had to be to deal with me as a kid. I was a bit of a handful." Erica laughed softly at that, imagining the terror that must have been Stiles as a child. He looked up at her and felt his smile grow a bit. "I think she would have liked you." Her eyes widened a bit at that, and he let out a small laugh at her shock. "You always see the good in things. You’re hopeful and trusting and some might think that that makes you naive, but you’re not. You know that sometimes life isn’t fair and that some people aren’t good, but you try to give people the benefit of the doubt and you don’t let that unfairness keep you from being happy. It’s infectious, and part of the reason it’s been so easy to stay here."

A bright blush took over Erica’s cheeks, and she had to remind herself that while he was saying all of these really sweet things, he only thought of her as a friend, and she shouldn’t get her hopes up. “Life’s too short to be angry. Being here makes that a lot easier to live by,” she explained. A ripple of pain, an after effect of her seizure, rippled through her, and her eyes snapped closed as she inhaled sharply through her nose.

"Erica, are you okay? Should I get a nurse?" he rushed out, standing and about to leave the room. When he felt her squeeze his hand, he stopped, his heart racing as the pain crossed her face for a moment more before fading away.

"I’m fine," she muttered, her eyes still closed as she took slow breaths. "I’m okay."

"What was that?" he asked, sitting back down and holding her hand with both of his, wishing there was a way to take some of the pain away.

"I call it an aftershock. Like with an earthquake? It’s just a flash of pain. I’m okay though. Promise," she assured him, taking a few more breaths before slowly opening her eyes and looking over at him. "Now you see why Cora and Isaac aren’t here. It’s hard enough for them to know that I had a seizure, but the aftershocks are even more difficult for them to watch. You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to. I’ll probably have a few more today."

"I’m not going anywhere," he promised her, rubbing his thumb back and forth on her hand. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

He hesitated, unsure if he should ask. It wasn’t really his place, but they were sharing their stories, and she had said he could. “What’s it like? Having a seizure, I mean.”

"It’s hard for me to remember, to be honest," she admitted, licking her lips. "I know that before, I taste my aura, and then my body starts shaking. It usually starts in my hands. My mind grows fuzzy, like I’m falling asleep, except there’s pain. A lot of pain. All of my muscles contract and twitch and it’s overwhelmingly painful. I know that when I’m having one, I can register like voices and being touched, but it’s really hazy. Like the voices sound so far away, and any touches feel like they’re small brushes, when in reality they’re probably like gripping me to hold me steady. For the longest time, I didn’t know what I looked like when I had a seizure. Then the video came out, and I knew. It’s scary."

"That doesn’t give those kids the right to make fun of you. For the record," he stated, a flash of anger coursing through him as he remembered what her peers had done to her.

Erica laughed softly, shaking her head at him. “They’re stupid teenagers in high school. If there was ever a place where making fun of someone with a neurological disorder was considered normal, it would be in high school.”

"Doesn’t make it right," he practically pouted, eliciting another small laugh.

"I know, but I’ve forgiven them already."

Stiles gaped at that, his mouth open and his eyes comically wide. “You _forgave_ them? Why the hell would you do that?”

"Because if I didn’t, then I would still be living with the anger I held towards them, and I don’t want to be angry with anyone," she told him. Stiles’s mouth closed and he shook his head slightly. "What?"

"I really don’t know how you do it. I don’t think I could ever forgive them if I were in your shoes. They don’t deserve your forgiveness," he insisted.

"I didn’t forgive them for them. I don’t think they’d care one way or another if I forgave them," she stated. "I forgave them for myself. That’s what forgiveness is about. It’s a way to let go of the pain someone caused you so you can live a better life."

"Okay Yoda."

"I’m serious!" she replied, laughing softly. "Think about it. Where do you think I would be if I held on to all of the terrible things people said or did towards me?"

He took a moment to think about it, and the image he shaped was not a good one. “You wouldn’t be as positive or kind as you are.”

"Exactly. I would be absolutely miserable. I wouldn’t get out of bed or try to keep living. I would just give up. But I don’t, because I know that that’s not good for me. I’ll be honest, for a while I did hold onto it," she confessed, causing Stiles’s eyebrow to quirk up. "I was so angry and upset and hurt and embarrassed and all of those negative emotions dragged me down. I would come home from school and lie in bed and just cry for hours. My grades were affected by it, my relationship with my parents was affected by it, and my health eventually started suffering. It got to the point where my parents were afraid I was going to do something drastic, so they sent me to see a therapist, and that’s where I learned to forgive for myself and how to look for the positive."

"And here you are, giving me your wisdom after having a seizure," he stated, shaking his head slightly.

"Yup."

"You should write a book or something. You could help a lot of people," he said, causing her to laugh softly. "I’m serious. I bet there are a lot of people that could learn to be a better person by hearing what you have to say."

"I doubt many people’s lives will be changed by hearing about my pathetic life."

"You really think your life is pathetic?" he asked, looking at her quizzically.

"Stiles, I’m almost eighteen years old, don’t have my driver’s license, never been kissed, never had a boyfriend, and I’m probably going to be in this hospital until I die. I’d say that’s pretty pathetic," she explained, biting the inside of her cheek a bit.

"That’s not- You’ve been through more pain than people twice your age have been through, and you don’t give up. You keep fighting. And I don’t think you’re going to die here. I think if anyone’s going to figure out a way to live a normal life and get out of here, it’s you. Because you deserve it," he told her. "As for the kiss and the boyfriend, you’re only eighteen. You have your entire life to kiss and date guys, and whoever ends up being your first kiss and first boyfriend will be a lucky guy because you’re amazing."

Erica’s eyes became a bit shiny with unshed tears, and she looked away as she took a steady breath. “You have all this faith in me, Stiles… That I’ll get better and be normal.” She looked back at him and gave him a sad smile. “I’ve never been normal, and I never will be. I’m here for a reason. At any moment, I could have a seizure and die. It’s something I’ve come to terms with. I don’t want you to get hurt when that day comes.”

"Erica," he breathed, his heart aching for the girl in front of him. She was so brave, but so broken. She believed she was just waiting there to die, and he hated the idea of a world where she wasn’t in it.

"It’s fine… I-I don’t want to talk anymore. I-" She sniffled and wiped the one tear that managed to escape before taking a deep breath. "Can you just stay here? At least until I fall asleep?"

A small sigh escaped him. He’d upset her, and he felt horrible for doing so. “Of course. I’m not going anywhere. Rest,” he assured her, squeezing her hand before moving his chair closer. “I’ll be here when you wake up.” She nodded and offered him a small smile before closing her eyes. Within moments, she was asleep, and he was left alone with his thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it!! Feedback is welcomed and encouraged. Thanks for reading!


	4. I'll Be Good To You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erica has epilepsy. Stiles has dementia. They're both living with the knowledge that their lives could end at any moment. But that doesn't stop them from finding their way to each other.  
> \----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> Erica has a chat with Scott and Mr. Stilinski about Stiles, and Stiles and Erica share a more serious conversation.

Erica had to spend a few days in bed after her seizure, and while Stiles had offered to visit her every day, she insisted she was fine and wanted to rest as much as possible. When she felt better and got the OK from her nurse, she left her room and decided to visit Stiles before spending the afternoon with him, Cora, and Isaac. She missed all of her friends, and she knew she was going to spend a lot of her time with them catching up on what she missed. Walking down the hallway, she waved to one of the nurses and then turned into Stiles’s room. He was sitting by the window, with a notebook in his lap and looked like he was in a trance.

"Stiles?" she spoke softly, taking a step back when he quickly turned around. "Hey you." A smile grew on her lips.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, standing and putting his notebook in his chair, furrowing his eyebrows.

"I came to visit you silly. I was thinking we could hang out a bit here and then go watch movies with Isaac and Cora," she explained, her voice slowing down when he only looked more confused. "What’s wrong?"

“‘What’s wrong?’ Some random girl is in my room,” he stated, crossing his arms over her chest.

She looked around, expecting to see another girl that she’d never seen before, but they were the only two in the room. Then realization dawned on her. “Y-You forgot me,” she breathed out, her stomach churning. “I- Stiles, i-it’s me. It’s Catwoman. You’re my friend. We’re friends.”

"I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve never met you before," he said, shaking his head and taking a step away from her. "How do you know my name? Why are you here? What do you want?" he rushed out, looking more upset by the minute.

"Stiles, it’s okay. I’m your friend. You just don’t remember me," she tried to comfort him, putting her hands up and taking a step forward.

"Get away from me!" he shouted at her, stopping her in her footsteps and making her breathing grow heavier. "Get out!"

"I-" she started, then shook her head and turned to leave, only running into someone. She looked up to see a boy her age with brown hair, a crooked jaw, and kind brown eyes looking down at her. Tears were welling in her eyes and she knew she couldn’t hide them. He offered a small smile and moved out of her way, allowing her to walk past him and Stiles’s dad who was waiting by the door. "I’m sorry," she told them, bowing her head as she left Stiles’s room and made her way to her own. She closed the door behind her and curled in her bed, closing her eyes as she tried to steady herself. Stiles had forgotten her. Stiles, who had stayed by her bed as she fell asleep when she lost her dog and had a seizure. Stiles, who called her Catwoman and didn’t mind when she ranted about DC versus Marvel Comics. Stiles, who made her feel extraordinary and gave her hope that she might actually beat her disorder.

By the time she heard a knock on her door, she had calmed down and was silently laying in her bed, facing the wall. “Come in,” she called out, sniffling before wiping her face and sitting up as Sheriff Stilinski and the boy she had run into walked into her room. “Look, I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to upset Stiles and I hadn’t expected him to not remember and I know I should have because I know about his condition, but he seemed to be better the last time I saw him and I’m just really sorry.”

The older man smiled softly at her and exchanged a look at Scott before the pair moved to the two chairs near her bed. “You’re Erica, right?” the teenager asked, his smile growing a bit when she nodded. “I’m Scott, Stiles’s friend.”

"Oh right. Duh. He’s told me a lot about you," she replied, smiling softly.

"And I’ve heard a lot about you," he told her, chuckling when her eyes widened. "I talk to Stiles on the phone every day or so, and the last few weeks, you and your two friends are basically all he’s talked about."

"Seriously?" she asked, shock clear in her voice.

"Seriously," he confirmed. She couldn’t stop the smile that grew on her lips.

"I’m sorry he reacted the way he did," the Sheriff finally spoke, frowning slightly. "You are right. He’s been doing a lot better, but we knew when he came in here that there would be days that he relapsed like this. I’m surprised he didn’t tell you that."

"I think he’s been really hopeful lately and didn’t expect it to happen," she said, looking down at her hands. "Which is probably my fault since I’ve been trying to get him to be more positive."

"Hey, it’s not your _fault_. I’m glad he’s been more positive,” the man said, looking at her with sincerity in his eyes. “Before he came here, he had been trying to pretend that his illness wasn’t there. He insisted on going to school and doing everything the same, but it wasn’t working. It took a while, but Scott and I finally convinced him to come here and get some serious help. Since he came here, he’s been better. He’s happier and his memory seems a lot clearer. He’s been acting like the Stiles we’ve known for so long.”

"And you think I had something to do with that?" Erica wondered, her eyebrows cinched together in slight confusion.

"Yeah, actually, we do," Scott answered.

"He remembered his mom, and he said it was because he was around you," the Sheriff pointed out, Erica looking over at him, her expression softening. She remembered that conversation with Stiles, but she didn’t know he had shared that information with his dad. "That you reminded him of her somehow. I’ve been trying to help him remember him for the longest time and had no success, but being around you pulled those memories back."

"I didn’t- I haven’t even been doing anything. I’m just being his friend," she explained.

When Scott laughed, Erica looked at him curiously. “I’m sorry, but if you think he thinks you’re just a friend, we have bigger problems than him temporarily forgetting you.”

"What?" she breathed, her heart skipping a beat as Stiles’s dad chuckled along with Scott.

"If there’s one thing I know about Stiles, it’s that when he likes someone, that’s all he’ll talk about. It used to be Lydia Martin, who I know more about than I ever wished to know about anyone," Scott told her. "Now it’s you. Stiles is really into you, and from the way you reacted in his room, I’d say you like him too." Erica gaped at him for a moment before bowing her head and blushing a bit. "Knew it."

"There’s something you should know, Erica," the Sheriff began, drawing her attention to him as her blush slowly faded. "Stiles’s condition… They say that it’s incurable. One day, he will lose all of his memories. His body will deteriorate and there’s nothing we know that can stop it. The medication that he is taking is supposed to help slow down the deterioration process, but it won’t stop it. It would take a miracle for him to recover from this. Scott and I… We like you. From what we’ve heard about you from Stiles and from this short time speaking with you, we know that you make Stiles happy, and that’s all we could hope for him right now. But you need to keep his condition in mind. We don’t want you to be hurt when he forgets who you are or what you mean to him."

Erica nodded and looked back down at her hands as she fiddled with her blanket. “I assume that Stiles has told you about my condition?” she asked, looking up at them for a moment. “I have severe epilepsy. I take medication as well, which is supposed to help stop my seizures, but it’s still possible for me to get them. If I have a strong enough seizure, I could die. That’s why I’m here, to keep me alive as long as possible and get immediate care when I’m seizing. Stiles and I both have an unknown amount of time left here. I don’t want to hurt him, but I know that because I only have so much time left, I need to take advantage of the things I have now. As much as I would like to keep everyone I care about at arm’s length, to protect them from the pain that will come when my time runs out, I can’t. I have two best friends that have helped me through so much. I have two loving parents that work hard to give me the medical attention I need. And I have Stiles. He’s become really important to me, and we knew the risks when we began our friendship. It doesn’t make it any easier, but at least we have each other to lean on when times get tough. I know that might make us both selfish, but we’re young and we should be able to live our lives how we want to while we still can.”

For a few moments, Scott and Mr. Stilinski sat there, silent and pensive. She was afraid she had said too much or the wrong thing. They shared a glance and then nodded before standing up.

"Stiles is a lucky guy," Scott finally said, smiling down at her.

"W-What?" she asked, a smile growing on her lips.

"You understand what he’s going through. You both know what you’re getting involved in and you’re doing this anyways. You care about him enough to go through days like this if it means you can make him happy," he explained. "Stiles is a lucky guys to have a girl like you, even if he doesn’t know he has you yet." She giggled softly and nodded in understanding, then reached out and squeezed his hand.

"I’ll make sure he figures it out soon," she assured him, smiling brightly when he squeezed her hand back. She then turned to look at Sheriff Stilinski, who had a more neutral expression on his face. "I-I know we haven’t talked much, but, um, I really like your son… And I won’t do anything to hurt him. Not intentionally anyways. And I might have figured out a way to help his memory. At least of why he’s here and who everyone here is."

She bit her lip as he remained quiet for a few more moments. When the smile spread on his lips, she felt herself relax. “You seem like a smart, strong, kind-hearted girl. You’ve been helping Stiles and I think you’re good for him.” He held out his hand and she put her hand in his and shook it once. “I’m sure I’ll see you again soon. Or at least hear about you,” he teased, laughing softly. “Scott and I are going to say goodbye to Stiles. I think you should wait off on going to see him until tomorrow. Whatever you have planned to help him, I hope it works. I share Stiles’s faith in you.”

She let out a breath at his words and she smiled softly. “Thank you Mr. Stilinski,” she spoke quietly.

"Anytime," he replied, winking before looking over at Scott. "Time to go, McCall."

"Yes sir," Scott saluted, causing Erica to laugh. "Catch ya later, Erica."

"Bye Scott. Bye Mr. Stilinski," she said to both, watching as they made their way out of her room. She sat there, thinking about the conversation she’d just had and shook her head. Stiles liked her. He liked her, and his best friend and Dad knew it before she did. He _liked_ her. He liked _her_. Before she could stop herself, a small squeal escaped her and she bounced a bit where she laid on her bed. _Okay, get yourself under control, Erica._ She took a deep breath and shook her head. Stiles liked her and his father and best friend trusted her, not just as his friend- or more- but with his condition as well. It felt good, knowing that they trusted her like that. With happy thoughts wandering through her mind, she felt herself grow sleepy and let herself slip into unconsciousness.

The next morning, she woke to a gentle pressure on the back of her hand. “Hmmm,” she hummed as she slowly woke up and turned to see Stiles sitting beside her, her hand in his. “I would say it’s creepy that you’re watching me sleep, but I don’t really mind,” she teased, smiling softly.

"I talked to Scott this morning," he told her, ignoring her teasing. "I’m sorry I forgot you yesterday. So, so sorry." His voice was laced with regret and sadness and embarrassment.

She shook her head at him and squeezed his hands. “It’s okay. You don’t have to apologize. We’re all allowed to have our bad days. How are you feeling today?”

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Better. I remembered you, obviously. Cora, Isaac, my nurses. Scott and my dad, obviously. Then I saw a blue bird outside the window and remembered how they were my mom’s favorite.”

"That’s great, Stiles. I’m glad your memory seems to be back to where it was before my seizure," she replied, turning her hand over and lacing it with his.

His eyes locked on their hands and he swallowed dryly. “I-I don’t know if we should hang out anymore,” he blurted out, causing her head to shoot up and her jaw to drop.

"Wh-What?" she asked, her breathing growing heavy. "You- I don’t understand. I thought you- Scott said- Wh-Why?"

He closed his eyes for a moment as he tried to compose himself. “Scott said that you were really upset when I couldn’t remember you. I can’t hurt you anymore. I won’t hurt you anymore.”

She shook her head, closing her eyes herself to try to keep herself from panicking. When she felt calm enough, she looked up to see him looking down at her, making her let out a stuttered breath. “You are not pushing me away. Do you understand that, Stiles Stilinski?” she stated, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible. “Scott told me that you liked me. I-Is that true?” He looked away from her, and she felt the panic set back in. “Stiles, please.” If this was all a lie, if Scott had gotten her hopes up for nothing, she would be humiliated. Losing Stiles as a friend in the process would destroy her, and she didn’t know if she would be able to move past it. “Was Scott lying, or do you like me?”

When he looked back up at her, she saw something in his eyes, something she’d seen before from him but never really knew what it meant. “Scott wasn’t lying. I like you, Erica… But-“

"No. No buts. You like me, and I like you. You keep me calm and you make me feel like a girl. Not a patient. And I help you with your memories. I want to keep helping you with your memories," she told him, leaning over and placing her other hand on his cheek. "Please don’t pull away from me."

His eyes locked on hers, and then he was standing from his seat and leaning over her, one of his hands cupping her cheek before his lips slanted over hers. Her first kiss. Her hand moved to the back of his neck, her fingers lacing through his hair as she melted into the kiss. As Stiles moved closer, her other hand gripped the fabric of his shirt. Everything she ever imagined her first kiss to be like, it was. There were butterflies and fireworks and a racing heart. It all centered down to this moment, with Stiles’s lips against hers, his hand on her cheek and her hand in his hair. It was perfect, and when he pulled away to rest his forehead against hers, she felt like everything was going to be okay.

"Wow," she breathed, slowly opening her eyes and looking up into his, a soft smile growing on her lips.

"Ditto," he replied, nuzzling his nose against hers as she laughed softly. "Hey move over." She pulled away a bit and looked at him curiously. "You heard me, Catwoman. Move over." With a small laugh, she moved over in her bed and watched as he climbed in and pulled her close to him. "Now we can go back to sleep."

"Oh can we?" she asked, giggling. With his hum of approval, she let herself relax. "I could do with a few more hours of sleep. And you are quite comfortable. My own personal pillow," commented, snuggling closer to him.

"You’re adorable."

"Shush. Sleepy time," she stated, smiling when he kissed her forehead and pulled her closer. Within minutes, they were both asleep and tangled up in each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm soooo sorry this was delayed. I've been really spacey lately, but I hope reading this chapter was worth the wait. Anyways, thanks for reading. Feedback is welcomed and encouraged!


	5. The Perks of Being Official

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erica has epilepsy. Stiles has dementia. They're both living with the knowledge that their lives could end at any moment. But that doesn't stop them from finding their way to each other.  
> \----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> Stiles and Erica are officially a couple and are figuring out what that means for each other and their friends.

The nurses had been a bit surprised to see the pair asleep in Erica’s bed a few hours later, but they had let them sleep. When they had woken up and returned to their rooms, their individual nurses advised against that in the future, in case anything happened to either of them. Later that day, the new couple picked Cora up together before heading down to Isaac’s room for movies. There had been an obvious shift between Erica and Stiles, but they tried their hardest to act like nothing had changed. Of course, Isaac and Cora were far too smart not to notice it.

"So it’s official then?" Isaac asked from his place on the bed, sharing a smirk with Cora before looking over at Erica and Stiles, their expression conveying their nervousness.

"Uh, what do you mean?" Erica said, her eyes darting to Stiles before turning towards her friends. "What’s official?"

"Oh don’t act like we’re dumb, Erica," Cora muttered, shaking her head. "You and Stiles are a couple. You can stop pretending."

Erica bit her lip then smiled softly, Stiles’s lips quirking up as he reached over and took her hand in his. “We weren’t sure how to tell you, and we didn’t want you to think that it was going to change how we acted in front of you guys,” Stiles explained. “Just because we’re together doesn’t mean we’re going to be one of those PDA-friendly couples.”

"It’s fine," Isaac assured them. "And we appreciate it. But you guys are terrible secret-keepers."

Before Erica could argue, Cora cut her off. “Oh please. You were practically glowing when you two first came in here. And you kept giving each other obvious looks. It would be disgusting if it wasn’t so damn cute.”

"So you don’t mind?" Erica asked, rubbing her thumb along Stiles’s hand.

Her two friends shook their heads, allowing her to let out a sigh of relief. “But…” Cora started, sharing a look with Isaac.

"But what?"

"But are you two sure this is a good idea?" Isaac continued for her, only to be met with two confused teenagers.

"You know, with your conditions. Are you sure this is good for either of you to be together?" Cora explained.

Stiles and Erica looked at each other for a moment. They hadn’t really talked about their conditions, but they had settled on and unspoken understanding when it came to their relationship. “We know what we’re getting into,” Stiles assured them. “I know that Erica could have a seizure and get seriously hurt or even die.”

"And I know that there could be days that Stiles doesn’t remember who I am," Erica continued. "But we’re happy together. You two will be able to leave here someday. Chances are the Stiles and I won’t. So why not take advantage of the gifts we’re given while we still have the time, right?" Stiles smiled softly over at her, taking her hand and kissing the back of it. "We make each other happy, and I think we deserve that, especially with our conditions."

Cora and Isaac remained silent for a moment, a conversation passing between them as they looked at each other. When they turned back to their friends, smiles were on their lips and the nodded. “We’re happy for you two,” Isaac told them.

"Yeah, we just wanted to make sure this was the right thing," Cora stated. "You guys are our friends first and foremost and we wouldn’t want either of you," her eyes bore down Stiles a bit more than was necessary, "to hurt the other."

"Cora," Erica chastised, shaking her head a bit.

"What? I’m just saying. No offense, Stiles, but Erica was our friend first. We have to watch out for her," she admitted, being her usual honest self.

Stiles chuckled a bit before waving her off. “It’s fine. I completely understand. I have no intention of hurting Erica. Will it happen? Possibly, but there’s also the possibility that Erica will hurt me too, and I’m willing to risk it because I really like her.” He looked over at Erica and smiled sweetly, her slightly awed expression giving him a bit of pride.

"And I really like him… Not that that’s a surprise," she joked, squeezing Stiles’s hand.

"Definitely not a surprise," Isaac teased, causing them all to laugh a bit.

After that, they all returned to watching movies and playing cards, the bit of tension that had been there at the start long gone. Later that day, after returning Cora to her room, Stiles and Erica sat in Stiles’s bed, talking and sharing soft kisses. It had become so natural to kiss, Erica had found. For the longest time, she thought it would be more complicated, and she wouldn’t know what to do, but she was comfortable with Stiles, and it gave her the chance to be free to figure out what he liked, what she liked, and how they worked together. He’d learned that she loved when he ran his fingers through her hair as he kissed her. She’d learned that he loved when she nibbled on his bottom lip. Each kiss was different, but they all had meaning. As they pulled away, Stiles held her close and nuzzled her nose with his own, causing her to giggle.

"I meant to tell you this earlier," Erica started, laying her head on his shoulder as she traced shapes on his t-shirt.

"Tell me what?" he asked, his fingers playing with her hair.

"I had an idea to help you with your memory."

"Erica…"

"No, listen. Come on, it can’t hurt to try," she insisted, pulling away a bit so she could better look at him.

"I don’t want you to get your hopes up. I told you this disease was practically incurable. That means that nothing can really help stop it," Stiles reminded her, reaching out and pulling her back into his arms. "But if you really want to try something, I won’t stop you."

Erica smiled brightly before kissing him deeply. “Thank you.”

He shook his head before kissing her once more. “Like I could actually say ‘no’ to you.”

The next day, Stiles woke up to find he was in a hospital, his eyebrows furrowing as he looked around. His eyes finally landed on a pink sticky note stuck to a machine beside his bed.

'Good morning, Stiles! You are in the hospital because you have dementia.'

He inhaled sharply, remembering being diagnosed and then the conversation with his dad where they decided he should come to the hospital. He then noticed another sticky note, this one blue with a photo attached of a pretty blonde girl.

'You are dating Erica. She has epilepsy, but you don't let that affect your relationship.'

A smile grew on his lips as she looked at the picture of Erica, a few memories of their time together flashing through his mind. Climbing out of bed, he noticed a few more sticky notes spread about and began reading them.

'Cora and Isaac are your friends here. Cora was in a house fire and Isaac was abused by his father. We don't really talk about why any of us are in the hospital, but we do watch movies and play cards together.'

'Your best friend is Scott. You have known him your entire life and he is like your brother.'

'Your mother died when you were a child, but she and your dad, the sheriff, love you very much.'

One by one, he read the notes, bits and pieces of his memory coming back together. Some had photos, which definitely helped jog his memory, while others were just a few words that somehow held so much meaning to them. A few were definitely difficult to take in, but when he came to the last one, he felt relief and happiness at the knowledge he had regained.

'When you are ready, come see me in room B26. - Erica.'

Taking a deep breath, he looked around at the room, the many sticky notes scattered around. Erica had done all of this for him. She’d written these notes and taken these photos, arranging them in a pattern that he could follow. For each devastating note came a more playful one, keeping him from breaking under the heaviness of those memories. It was smart, and he honestly couldn’t believe he hadn’t tried it sooner.

He quickly changed out of his pajamas and into actual clothes - still comfortable but not as wrinkled and slept in - and headed down to B26. However, when he got closer, he saw a nurse standing outside of Erica’s room with a man and a woman who looked very distraught.

"Uh, what’s going on?" Stiles asked, the three adults turning and looking at him.

"Stiles-" the nurse started, her tone indicating now was not the right time for him to be there.

"This is Stiles?" the woman asked, her noticeably red-rimmed eyes widening a bit. "Erica’s boyfriend?"

"Yeah, that’s me. Who are you?"

The man wrapped his arm around the woman and frowned slightly. “We’re Erica’s parents. We’ve heard a lot of really great things about you. Stiles really likes you.”

He smiled softly, but it faded when he realized the way Erica’s dad had said the words was almost sympathetic. “Where’s Erica?”

"Stiles…" the nurse muttered once more, shaking her head a bit.

"Where is she? What happened to her?" he insisted, tempted to push past them to go into her room.

Mr. Reyes took a deep breath and held his wife a bit closer as she sniffled and looked down. “Erica had a seizure early this morning. We’re not really sure what triggered it, but she was in the bathroom and fell, hitting her head against the sink. The head injury caused her to fall unconscious.”

It felt like the air had been sucked out of Stiles’s lungs as the news washed over him. Erica had another seizure, and he wasn’t there for her. She had hurt herself and was now lying in bed, alone and unconscious.

"But she’ll- I mean, it won’t last right? She’ll wake up?" he asked, his voice shaky.

Mr. and Mrs. Reyes shared a look before turning back towards Stiles, the answer clear on their faces. “She’s in a coma, Stiles. We don’t know if she will ever wake up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cliffhanger! I've been leaving you guys with far too much closure lately haha. I hope you liked it, despite my leaving you on the edge. Feedback is welcomed and encouraged!


	6. Can Forever Start Now?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erica has epilepsy. Stiles has dementia. They're both living with the knowledge that their lives could end at any moment. But that doesn't stop them from finding their way to each other.  
> \----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
> Stiles sits vigil at Erica's bedside while she's in a coma and gets a visit from Scott.

When Stiles was a kid, his dad used to take him to see baseball games at the local college. He /loved/ going to see the baseball games. He loved the crowds and he loved the energy that was so palpable as the pitcher pulled back before launching the ball towards home plate. Of course, sometimes that energy would dissipate if the home team started leaving. The stands would feel lifeless and hollow, the enthusiasm gone as they watched their team lose inning after inning.

Sitting by Erica’s bed as she lay there, Stiles felt that lifeless, hollow feeling. It was like Erica was the team, and she was watching her waste away. It was killing him, and he knew there was nothing he could do to help her. The one thing he could do was continue her work. He started writing himself sticky notes, and when there became too many, he started writing his memories in a journal. He wrote about all of the different places he and his dad used to go when his mom was in the hospital, just to keep him distracted. He wrote about the many different misadventures he and his best friend Scott would go on, from drinking some of his dad’s stolen whiskey in the middle of the woods to sneaking into the school to prank Coach Finstock. He wrote about his mom too. How beautiful she was, what her laugh sounded like, how strong she was when it came to her condition.

A topic he spent a lot of time on was Erica. She was a huge driving force for him to try to keep his memory at the top of its game. He believed with his whole heart that she would wake up someday soon, and when she did, he wanted to be there. He wanted to remember their first kiss and how nice it was to hold her hand. He wanted to remember each kind of smile she had (there were six). He wanted to remember how much she cared for her family and their friends, Cora and Isaac. He wanted to remember all of it, because each memory with her made him feel the hope he needed to get out of bed every day.

Sometimes when he remembered something knew, he would write it down and then go to sit by Erica’s bed, reading her the story connected to that memory. He didn’t know if she could hear him, but it helped him feel like he wasn’t as alone as he felt. Cora and Isaac visited almost every day, reminding him that he was still welcome to watch movies with them, but he told them he didn’t want to leave her. They understood, but he knew they were worried about him as much as they were Erica.

Days passed, and there was no progress with Erica. She still lay there in her bed, her heartbeat remaining normal but showing no sign of waking up. Stiles could barely sleep, and he knew if it weren’t for him proactively trying to keep his memory intact, it would be deteriorating.

Two weeks after Erica went into her coma, there was a knock on her door.

"Come in," Stiles called out, holding Erica’s hand as he looked through his journal. The door opened and he turned to see Scott entering with a vase of flowers. Stiles stood from his seat and almost ran into his friend’s arms, hugging him tightly as the stress from the situation finally broke over him. He cried softly, Scott holding him close and rubbing his back to comfort him. When Stiles calmed down, he sniffled and pulled away, taking a deep breath as he smiled sadly at his friend.

"Any progress?" Scott asked, moving towards Erica and placing the flowers on her bedside table. Stiles shook his head, then looked down before sitting in the seat he had been before. "How have you been, man? You been sleeping?"

Stiles shrugged. “I’ve been sleeping enough… It’s been a bit hard though. Got a lot on my mind.”

"I know you do, but you have to sleep. It’s the best thing for you, especially with your condition."

"You think I don’t know that, Scott?" he snapped, causing the other boy to sigh and look down. "I’m sorry, I’m just- I don’t like leaving her alone. If I could, I would move my bed in here and sleep beside her but obviously I can’t do that."

"Stiles…" Scott started, but Stiles waved him off, stopping him from continuing.

"Don’t okay? Don’t give me that look or use that tone. I know you think that this is ridiculous, but you don’t know her like I do. You don’t-" he paused, looking at Erica carefully. "I feel better when I’m with her, bro. Even now, just holding her hand makes me feel okay. So you can say that we’ve only been together for so long, but I have never felt the way that I feel towards Erica."

He looked over at his friend to see him smiling softly. “You love her.”

Stiles was taken aback by his words, and he went to shake his head and argue, but he couldn’t. There had been a part of him that thought that way, but the rational side of him pushed that thought away. He couldn’t love her. It was too fast, they were too young, there were too many complications. But as the days went by, he knew that part of him had been right all along.

"Yeah, I do love her," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "Pretty sure I have for a while."

"That’s great man. I’m happy for you… But," he started, crossing his arms over his chest.

"But she’s in a coma and she might never wake up. I know that, Scott," Stiles stated, looking over at him. "That isn’t going to stop me from loving her."

"Stiles-"

"No," he stopped him once more, shaking his head. "I knew what I we getting into when we started this. I knew what I was going to have to face when I started having feelings for her. This was my choice and I don’t regret it. She’s going to wake up, and when she does, I’m going to do anything and everything I can to make her happy."

"If that’s what you want," Scott muttered, moving over towards Erica and smiling sadly. They let a comfortable silence settle between them, the only noise filling the room being the steady bleep from Erica’s heart monitor and her normal breathing. "She doesn’t know, does she?"

"No. I only realized it after she went into her coma," Stiles said, holding Erica’s hand and running his thumb back and forth over the back of it. "I’ve said it a few times to her though. I talk to her all the time actually."

"About what?" Scott wondered, grabbing a chair and pulling it to the side of her bed before sitting in it.

"Everything," he chuckled. "I tell her about what I watched the night before. I tell her about things that I’ve been remembering. I tell her about you and my dad and my mom. I even told her about Lydia. I tell her about how I know that Lydia was just a crush, because I never felt the way about her like I do Erica."

"Are you saying you’re over Lydia Martin?" Scott asked, a teasing tone to his voice before he laughed a bit.

"I think I’ll always care about Lydia, but I never got to know the real her. I know the parts of her I’ve seen and I think she’s still beautiful, but she’s not my person, you know?" Stiles tried to explain.

"Not like Erica is," he finished for him.

"Not like Erica is," Stiles agreed, smiling at the still girl. "She came out of nowhere, man. She snuck up on me and I fell so hard. I remember my dad telling me before I went to high school how he and my mom got together. They’d been in each other’s classes all through high school, and then during their senior year, they were paired up for a project. That was it for him. He completely fell for her while working on that project. Of course, being him, it took him another six years before he made a move and then they were dating and then married and then I came along. I remember he told me that he just /knew/ she was the one, and that he wished he had just gone for her from the beginning. I don’t want to have that kind of regret, Scott."

"What do you mean?" Scott asked, cocking his head to the side a bit.

"I need you to do me a favor, and you can’t question me or judge me okay?"  
———————————————————————-———————————————————————-———————————————————————-  
The day Erica woke up, Stiles was not in the room. She took a few moments to look around, smiling sweetly at the flowers, cards, and balloons that were scattered around her room. Then her eyes landed on a bright blue sticky note. She reached over and picked it up, a small laugh escaping her when she realized Stiles had written it.

'The nurses said you should be waking up soon. If you're reading this, then you are awake which is awesome. I'm sorry I wasn't there when you woke up, but I will be back soon.'

She smiled brightly, knowing Stiles would be there soon. She was about to put the note back when she noticed there was some writing on the back. Turning it over, her eyes grazed over the three words.

'I love you.'

Tears welled in her eyes as her fingers ran over each letter, her heart swelling. He loved her. Before she could do anything else, her door opened and Stiles walked in, a vase full of lilies, her favorite, in his hands.

"You’re awake," he breathed, moving to put the vase on her bedside table before sitting next to her.

"I’m awake," she confirmed. "And you remember me."

He reached up and brushed back her hair as he nodded. “I’ve been doing some studying every day. Your notes and a journal I’ve been keeping have helped me keep from forgetting.”

"You haven’t had any relapses?" He shook his head, and she closed her eyes in relief as she laid her hand over hers on her cheek. "I’m so happy for you Stiles."

"I couldn’t have done it without you," he told her, leaning forward to kiss her softly, stealing her breath away and making her heart skip a beat. "I love you, Erica," he whispered against her lips.

"I love you too," she spoke back, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Hey, why the tears?" he asked, pulling away a bit to brush it away with his thumb.

She shook her head and ran her fingers through his hair. “I just never thought I would hear those words. Especially not from someone as wonderful as you.”

Stiles smiled brightly before leaning down and kissing him once more, his fingers weaving through her hair and sending a thrill through her. He pulled away once more, this time separating completely before licking his lips. “You’ve been out for a while, which gave me a lot of time to think.”

"Stiles, if you’re going to try to break up with me again, I swear to God-" she started, but he shook his head and smiled, stopping her from continuing.

"When I found out you were in a coma, it felt like someone had punched me in the gut. I felt sick, and not just because I was afraid about what this would mean for you," he admitted, rubbing his hands on his jeans. "You have become such a huge part of my life, Erica. You’ve helped me with my condition and you’ve made me feel like I’m not defined by my dementia."

A small smile grew on her lips before she gasped when he stood from his chair and knelt on one knee, taking her hand in his. “Stiles,” she breathed, shaking her head a bit in disbelief.

"I love you, Erica. I love you and I know that life is too short to let that be the end to our story. I don’t know how much time either of us have left, but I don’t want to spend what time I have left without you in it." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a velvet box, opening it to reveal a simple but beautiful diamond ring. "Erica Josephine Reyes," he spoke, his hands shaking a bit. "Will you marry me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another cliffhanger, I know. I'm sorry! I hope you liked it regardless. Thanks for reading. Feedback is welcomed and encouraged!

**Author's Note:**

> I started this series about a week or go and have a few chapters done. I'm trying to keep my writing ahead of posting, so I don't feel rushed to write chapters. However, since I already have a few chapters done, I should be able to get the next chapter out in about a week. So keep an eye out. Thanks for reading! Feedback is more than welcome!


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